hinedu Okwelogu triumphs in Malta Open

Nigerian player, Chinedu Okwelogu, was the surprise winner of the 5th Malta International Scrabble Open, better known by its gastronomical acronym MISO, held between 18th May and 20th May at the Paradise Bay Hotel in Mellieha. Okwelogu won 17 of the 24 games that were played, just half a win better than runner-up Siu Hean Cheah of Singapore and Evan Cohen of Israel who finished in 2nd and 3rd respectively. The Maltese Charles Micallef claimed the Ratings Prize in the top division. In Division B, the Englishman Andy Gray topped the standings trailed by Mario Saliba of Malta and Daniel Milton of USA. The 5th MISO boasted a field of 76 players from 14 nations, including Singapore, USA and Scotland. The tournament followed hot on the heels of the 4th European Open Scrabble Championship held over the previous weekend.